Arsenal’s Set-Piece Dominance and Upcoming Challenge Against Bayern

Arsenal has earned the title of ‘set-piece kings’ during the 2024-25 campaign, showcasing remarkable goal-scoring capability from dead-ball scenarios. This season, 12 of the Gunners’ 39 goals in all competitions have originated from set-pieces, yielding an impressive conversion rate of 30.77 percent.

In their most recent Premier League match, Mikel Arteta’s squad faced off against rivals Tottenham, where they delivered an impressive 4-1 victory without relying on any dead-ball situations.

Bayern Munich and England forward Harry Kane has acknowledged Arsenal’s exceptional set-piece skills ahead of their Champions League encounter. He stated to reporters, “Of course I follow the Premier League. Arsenal have done well so far in that department. We’ve prepared for Arsenal as usual. The most effective strategy will be to avoid giving them any set-pieces, control the game, and improve our defending, especially when we concede from set-pieces.”

Despite Arsenal’s ability to triumph over Spurs without any set-piece goals, Arteta expressed his desire to see his team score from such situations. “I am upset we didn’t score with a set-piece. I want to score with a set-piece as well,” he remarked following the match.

In the ongoing 2025-26 Bundesliga season, Bayern has been dominant, yet they have conceded six goals from dead-ball situations. To successfully face the Gunners, they must heed Kane’s caution.

Kane continues to display outstanding form in the current campaign, having netted 24 goals in 18 matches across all competitions. When Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber was asked about their strategy to neutralize the England captain, he commented, “That is not going to be easy, of course. I think he is an amazing striker, and everyone knows that. He possesses numerous qualities and has consistently performed at a high level. Now at Bayern Munich, he is among the best players in the world. It will be a significant challenge for us as a team and as defenders to stop him. When facing an opponent with Harry Kane as the striker, he becomes a focal topic of discussion among defenders because he is a highly dangerous player. We approach every game similarly, focusing on their key players and their style of play, and tomorrow will be no different.”